very serious discussion of our prospects and
plans. Yank announced himself as fit to travel, and ready to do so,
provided he could have a horse; the express messengers were out of a
job; I had lost all my tools, and was heartily tired of gold washing,
even had conditions permitted me to continue. Beside which, we were all
feeling quite rich and prosperous. We had not made enormous fortunes as
we had confidently anticipated when we left New York, but we were all
possessed of good sums of money. Yank had the least, owing to the fact
that he had been robbed of his Porcupine River product, and had been
compelled for nearly three months to lie idle; but even he could count
on a thousand dollars or so sent out from Hangman's Gulch. I had the
most, for my digging had paid me better than had Johnny's express
riding. But much of my share belonged of right to Talbot Ward.

Having once made up our minds to leave, we could not go too soon. A
revulsion seized us. In two days the high winds that immediately sprang
up from the west had dried the surface moisture. We said good-bye to all
our friends--Danny Randall, Dr. Rankin, Barnes, and the few miners with
whom we had become intimate. Danny was even then himself preparing to
return to Sonoma as soon as the road should be open to wagons. Dr.
Rankin intended to accompany him, ostensibly because he saw a fine
professional opening at Sonoma, in reality because in his shy, hidden
fashion he loved Danny.

Nobody objecting, we commandeered the two horses that had belonged to
the Morenas. One of them we packed with our few effects, and turned the
other over to Yank. Thus, trudging afoot, Johnny and I saw our last of
Italian Bar. Thirty years later I rode up there out of sheer curiosity.
Most of the old cabins had fallen in. The Bella Union was a drear and
draughty wreck. The Empire was used as a stable. Barnes's place and
Morton's next door had burned down. Only three of the many houses were
inhabited. In two of them dwelt old men, tending small gardens and
orchards. I do not doubt they too were Forty-niners; but I did not stop.
The place was full of too many ghosts.

CHAPTER XLI

WE GO OUT

We made our way out of the hills without adventure worth noting. The
road was muddy, and a good deal washed. In fact, we had occasionally to
do considerable manoeuvring to find a way at all around the landslides
from the hills above.

As we descended we came upon traces of the great exodu